１ヶ月程前に見たNHKのBS番組（正確な題名は忘れたが再放送、もしくは再々放送の番組）の基になった、明治の初期に英国の女性が日本の東北、北海道を東京から旅をしたことを本人(Isabella Bird）が著した「日本奥地紀行」の原本 "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" を読み始めました。期待通り、興味深い内容、記述が続きます。
Isabella Birdが旅したのは1878年で、東京は西洋化が急速に始まり、下に引用する個所は人力車についての記述です。
Outside were about fifty of the now well-known jin-ri-ki-shas, and the air was full of a buzz produced by the rapid reiteration of this uncouth word by fifty tongues. 'This conveyance, as you know, is a feature of Japan, growing is importance every day. It was only invented seven years ago, and already there are nearly 23,000 in one city, and men can make so much more by drawing them than by almost any kind of skilled labour, that thousands of fine young men desert agricultural pursuits and flock into the towns to make draught-animals of themselves, though it is said that the average duration of a man's life after the takes to running is only five years, and that the runners fall victims in large numbers to agravated forms of heart and lung disease.
"draught-animals" を調べます。これはイギリス英語で米語では "draft animals" と綴られます。
・Vocabulary.comy: an animal used for pulling heavy loads: In other parts of Indonesia, the buffalo are draft animals, but here they are venerated and carefully cared for.
・Wiktionary: A strong working animal used to draw a load like a cart, a plow etc., as opposed to a mount.
Isabella Birdが旅したのは1878年で、東京は西洋化が急速に始まり、下に引用する個所は人力車についての記述です。
Outside were about fifty of the now well-known jin-ri-ki-shas, and the air was full of a buzz produced by the rapid reiteration of this uncouth word by fifty tongues. 'This conveyance, as you know, is a feature of Japan, growing is importance every day. It was only invented seven years ago, and already there are nearly 23,000 in one city, and men can make so much more by drawing them than by almost any kind of skilled labour, that thousands of fine young men desert agricultural pursuits and flock into the towns to make draught-animals of themselves, though it is said that the average duration of a man's life after the takes to running is only five years, and that the runners fall victims in large numbers to agravated forms of heart and lung disease.
"draught-animals" を調べます。これはイギリス英語で米語では "draft animals" と綴られます。
・Vocabulary.comy: an animal used for pulling heavy loads: In other parts of Indonesia, the buffalo are draft animals, but here they are venerated and carefully cared for.
・Wiktionary: A strong working animal used to draw a load like a cart, a plow etc., as opposed to a mount.
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